


Code Switching

by kethni



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: F/M, Racism, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:08:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22030798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kethni/pseuds/kethni
Summary: Silence was always taken as consent.
Relationships: Kent Davison/Sue Wilson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	Code Switching

**Author's Note:**

> For anonymous

It wasn’t the first time. She knew it wouldn’t be the last. A certain part of her was always waiting for it. Always expecting it. Naturally she always had a dozen retorts in mind _afterwards_ , l'esprit d'escalier was infuriating, but in the moment that it happened she was always lost for an answer. Always reduced to helpless anger and fear. 

They took it as an acknowledgement that they were right. That she was acquiescent. Silence was always taken as consent.

‘Fuck you,’ she stuttered, as he turned to laugh with his aides.

‘Excuse me?’ he demanded.

She opened and closed her mouth. ‘I…I…’

‘Senator, a word,’ Kent said, hurrying over.

‘You repeat that,’ the senator demanded.

‘You first.’

Kent grabbed the senator by the arm. ‘This was not a request.’

The aide squeaked in protest as Kent dragged the senator away towards his office.

‘Um, Sue,’ Richard said.

She hadn’t noticed him in the corner of the room.

‘ _What_?’

Richard waved away the gawping onlookers and walked over to her. She sat at her desk and pretended to be busy. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.

‘My dad always says that if you let them see you’re upset then they’ve won.’

Sue clenched her jaw. ‘Really.’

‘You don’t agree?’

She looked up at him. ‘If we say nothing then they think that it’s acceptable. _That_ is winning.’

Richard smiled. ‘But Mr Davison –’

Sue narrowed her eyes. ‘Are you seriously suggesting that I rely on Mr Davison to fight my battles? A man? A _white man_?’

Richard licked his lips. ‘There are things he can say that we can’t. There are things that he can do that I can’t.’

Sue crossed her legs. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘But there are things I can say and do that you can’t and won’t.’

Richard sighed. ‘You want a coffee? I’m gonna get a coffee. Something really unhealthy. Maybe I’ll get a cake too. You want me to get you one?’

Sue gave a small smile. ‘That would be nice. Thank you.’

***

She was sipping her drink when Kent returned. He pointed at the aide who was now slumped on Gary’s desk.

‘You, go home,’ he said.

‘But the senator…’

Kent narrowed his eyes. ‘He has gone ahead of you. Do _not_ let me detain you.’

The aide scurried away.

Sue clasped her hands together. ‘Do you need to speak to me, Mr Davison?’

‘If you amenable, that would be agreeable,’ he said.

***

His office was small, but it was mere feet away from POTUS, and that was the important thing. It was a statement of power and importance more potent than any amount of chest puffing and arrogance. It was power of someone with no need to boast about it. Someone so confident in their entitlement that they didn’t even think about it. Ben was exactly the same way. When they had nothing else in common men of a certain age and temperament, a certain _background_ , had the same unthinking expectation of respect and authority. Background of course meaning both more and less than the sort of school and social circle.

‘Are you okay?’ Kent asked, taking her hand between his.

‘It’s nothing I haven’t heard before.’

‘I would imagine that makes me worse, not better.’

Sue allowed herself a nod. ‘Did you defend my honour? Are you going to duel at dawn?’

Kent chuckled. ‘If I thought it would help I would.’

‘I didn’t ask for your help,’ she said quietly.

‘You didn’t,’ he admitted. ‘And I’m not sure that you needed it. Nonetheless, I care for you and I wanted to protect you. A selfish impulse perhaps and likely a sexist one. But I’m not going to apologise for it.’

‘Good.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘Instead you took action to establish that the Oval Office does not condone that behaviour. Very good and proper I’m sure.’

‘Okay,’ he said carefully. ‘Clearly I misjudged that. I apologise.’

Sue shook her head. ‘I didn’t want you to ride the rescue.’

‘What did you want?’

‘I don’t know.’

Kent gently put his arms around her. Sue rested her head on his shoulder.

‘I’m not a very good shot,’ Kent admitted.

‘What?’

‘For the duel.’

Sue smiled slightly against his shoulder. ‘I didn’t know you could shoot at all.’

Kent moved one hand to rub her back. ‘A little. But I’m quite slow.’

‘Can you sword fight?’ she asked.

‘I can fence _slightly_ ,’ he said. ‘But I haven’t done it since I was a child.’

‘Then you’ll have to do that.’ Sue straightened up and kissed him. ‘Or beat him up with your manly fists.’

‘I could do that.’

Sue stepped back. ‘Is he going to make a complaint?’

Kent pulled a face. ‘People say worse than that to senators daily.’

‘Yes, but this is real life, not Twitter, and I’m a staffer, not a member of the public.’

Kent shrugged. ‘Ben says worse than that to senators daily.’

‘I can believe that.’ She smoothed his tie. ‘I’m not Ben. There are different rules.’

Kent cupped her cheek with his palm. ‘He’s not going to make a complaint. You’re not going to be in any trouble.’

‘What did you do?’ she asked.

‘Nothing,’ he said innocently.

She raised her eyebrows. ‘Kent.’

‘Nothing but point out that should his behaviour and language somehow become public knowledge then he would likely suffer a massive drop in support in his upcoming campaign.’

‘Somehow,’ Sue said.

‘These things do happen.’

‘Probably not when doing so would lose us a seat.’ She licked her lips as he dropped his hand.

‘Not if timed early enough to switch to another candidate,’ he said cheerfully. ‘A fresh-faced up-and-comer with appeal to younger and more enthusiastic constituents might be very agreeable. Someone like Sandy Bernstein might prove a much stronger candidate for years to come.’

Sue felt a smirk tugging at her mouth. ‘You didn’t say that to the senator.’

‘Didn’t I? Well, something similar perhaps.’ His cell phone chime and he sighed as he checked. ‘Alas, these pleasantries cannot continue. I am called and must obey.’

‘POTUS?’

‘Worse, Ben,’ Kent said. He straightened his sleeves. ‘Will I see you tonight?’

‘Are you asking to see me tonight?’ she inquired.

He appeared to think about it. ‘Yes. Might I see you tonight?’

She flipped back her hair. ‘Take me somewhere nice.’

Kent smiled. ‘I will.’

***

The atmosphere was still a little jittery when POTUS returned from her meeting with the Joint Chiefs. She swept past Sue without a look, which was entirely usual. Then she stepped back and looked at Sue, which was not at all usual.

‘Hey, Sue,’ she said.

‘Yes, Ma’am?’

Selina scrutinised Sue’s face. ‘You good?’

Sue blinked. ‘Yes, Ma’am.’

‘Good,’ Selina said. ‘Good. You’re valued here. I hope that you know that.’

Sue folded her hands together on the desk. ‘Thank you, Ma’am.’

Selina nodded. ‘Good.’ She carried on into the Oval Office.

As he walked after Selina, Ben patted Sue’s hand. It was a ridiculously paternalistic gesture, the sort of gesture which would have driven her to a fury when she was younger.

She gave him a brief nod and a ghost of a smile.

***

Kent picked her up from home a little before seven. He was driving the little convertible that he knew she liked. He came to the door with a bouquet of flowers.

‘This is too much,’ Sue said severely.

‘Is it possible to do too much for you?’ Kent asked lightly.

‘That isn’t what I said,’ she said, accepting the flowers and smelling them. ‘Thank you. Do you have time for a drink?’

‘Only a small one,’ he said.

He followed her into the house, leaning down to pet her cat. Johan (Sebastian Bach) was an animal who generally disliked every single human he met with the exception of Sue herself and now Kent.

Sue poured them both a small glass of wine. ‘POTUS spoke to me.’

‘Oh?’

‘She said that I was valued,’ Sue said.

Kent sipped his wine. ‘You are.’

‘By you?’ she asked.

He touched his fingertips to her arm. ‘By everyone,’ he said.

‘Clearly not everyone,’ Sue said.

Kent licked his lips. ‘Everyone who matters,’ he said. ‘I hate to see you doubting yourself.’

Sue shook her head. ‘That’s what these people do. Everything they say is radioactive. It infects people. It metastasises.’

‘It’s evil,’ he said.

‘That’s too.’ She kissed him slowly. ‘After dinner, I’m going to ask you to come in for coffee.’

Kent nodded. ‘I’m going to say yes.’

‘Good,’ Sue said. ‘I don’t like surprises.’

He returned the kiss. ‘Understood. No surprises.’

The End.


End file.
